Saiyan
The Saiyans, or Saiya-jin (サイヤ人) abbreviated SJ, are a fictional, almost extinct race in the anime and manga Dragon Ball and its sequels, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT. The Saiyans are a powerful warrior race and play a central role in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT once it is revealed that the main character, Son Goku, is actually a Saiyan. Name The name is an anagram of yasai(野菜), which is Japanese for vegetable, followed by the suffix jin(人 or じん) which is a Japanese suffix for person. (This essentially means that "Saiya-jin" and "Saiyan" stand for "vegetable person".) (For comparison, American (citizen) is translated as Amerika-jin) Essentially, Saiyan is a more direct English translation of the word All pure-blood Saiyans that appear in the series and related movies are named using puns on various vegetables. The Saiyan Race History In the manga, the distant history of the Saiyans is not described. In the anime series however, it is described that there were two separate races on Planet Vegeta: the Saiyans, a barbaric and backwards people, and the Tsufuru-jin (Tuffles in the English dub), an advanced, scientific race. The Tsufuru and the Saiyans fought a civil war, but the Saiyans were ultimately victorious thanks to their ability to turn into their Oozaru forms at the full moon. The Saiyans then renamed the planet, calling it Planet Vegeta. Over the years they also learned how to use the Tsufuru's advanced equipment and become somewhat smarter and less barbaric, although they still lusted for fighting and destruction. At some unknown time following the Saiyan victory the planet was conquered or annexed by Freeza's empire and the Saiyans (like many other races) were drafted to serve as soldiers in Freeza's military. Because of the Saiyans' innate strength and penchant for violence, they were considered to be useful mercenaries and assisted in the conquering of many planets, or if assignment called for, eradication of the planet's population. (Even Saiyan children were considered powerful enough to conquer some of the weaker planets, such as Earth.) Eventually, seeing how quickly some of the more gifted Saiyan warriors were gaining power through battle, Freeza grew concerned with the potential of the Saiyan race and thought that they would grow strong enough to face him or even become the fabled Super Saiyans, able to defeat him in battle so the maniacal warlord destroyed Planet Vegeta, almost eradicating the Saiyan race. Only four pure-blood Saiyans survived the destruction, Kakarot (Son Goku), Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz as they were not on the planet at the time. Non-canonically, three more Saiyans survived the catastrophe, appearing in the Dragon Ball Z movies. Tullece, Broli and Paragus. Homeworld Planet Vegeta is not the true homeworld of the Saiyans, their true home is unknown. Planet Vegeta was conquered by the Saiyans after the defeat of the dominant race, the Tsufurujin, an incredibly intelligent but physically weak race. Lead by Vegetas' father, King Vegeta, the Saiyans were victorious and took the planet as their own, naming it Vegeta. The planet has a natural gravity that is 10 times that of Earth which helps give Saiyans a greater natural strength than most races. After the warlord Freeza decided that the Saiyan race could potentially pose a threat to his tyranny, the planet was completely obliterated from space taking most of the Saiyan race with it. Appearance Saiyans are outwardly very similar to humans, except for their increased natural strength, ability to manipulate Ki with great ease and their monkey-like tails. They are commonly seen to have black hair although there have been rare occasions when they have also been shown to have brown hair. Pure-blood Saiyan hair never changes length or style once it has fully grown. This is not the case with half-breeds like Gohan and Trunks who are shown to have several different hair-styles throughout the series'. Both of Vegeta and Bulma's children inherited their hair color from their mother's side. Goku's children both have black hair like him, but then their mother Chi Chi also has black hair. Saiyans also all have black eyes though half-breeds do not always share this trait as Vegetas son, Trunks, and daughter, Bra, inherited blue irises. Similar appearances can be noted in: *Goku looks like Burdock. *Vegeta looks like King Vegeta. *Gohan looks like Chi-Chi(and as a teen, later Goku). *Goten looks like Goku. *Trunks is a male version of Bulma with slight similarities to Vegeta. *Bra looks like Bulma. Personality Saiyans tend to share common personality traits, even at young ages. Being a war-like people; they share an innate enjoyment for conflict and fighting; choosing violence over peace with other races. Saiyans are typically very aggressive and hard-headed, with short explosive tempers. They are an intensely proud people, with a society heavily based around honor and social hierarchy. Inclined to be arrogant at times leading them to allow enemies to gain advantages in battle for fun. It appears (as demonstrated by Vegeta, Nappa, Burdock and even Goku) they have a tendency to let their emotions get the better of them when roused in stimulating situations - resulting in them at times making rash decisions. They also appear to lack sympathetic emotions though by choice rather than nature shown by their relative lack of fear of death and uncaring attitude towards siblings, i.e. Radditz brutal beating of his long-lost brother Goku and Vegetas indifference to his fathers death. A possible reason for that (theoretically according to some fans) could be that their society was corrupted in that area as a result of generations of being under Freeza's occupation. Saiyans are also quite well known for their immense appetites for food, possessing an almost insatiable hunger. As a child, Goku once downed a 50 course meal at a restaurant. Note that this is not restricted only to full-blooded Saiyans, as even the polite Gohan has been seen eating like a hog. Racial traits Though Saiyans share aesthetical similarities to humans they are fundamentally different on a biological level, possessing many unique abilities. Strength Saiyans have a naturally higher strength than a lot of different species, essentially built for fighting. The naturally high gravity of Planet Vegeta develops their strength further making them considerably strong at young ages. Even weak Saiyans are capable of conquering most planets alone. Through tough training Saiyans are able to reach new levels of power and the more intense training and fights they go through, the stronger they become. Energy Saiyans possess a natural affinity to the manipulation of Ki energy allowing them to utilise flying and energy based attacks with incredible ease as well as unlock great depths of power when needed. Tail All pure-blood Saiyans possess a tail, monkey-like in appearance and often coloured brown or black. The tail is a particularly sensitive area for some Saiyans, mostly weaker, low-class warriors and when grabbed or injured, it causes great pain to the owner. Other Saiyans can evolve beyond this weakness and the tail becomes no more fragile than any other limb. The tail is very prehensile, and can be used to grasp things like many other primates. It has been mentioned in Dragon Ball that a Saiyan with a tail gains more power than one without a tail. The tail also provides a unique gift in that it allows a Saiyan to transform into an Oozaru and potentially a Golden Oozaru. If the tail is removed, this power is lost. Some Saiyans have the ability to grow back their tails at various times, but at some point in life this regenerative ability is lost. Gohan for instance, who is not even a pure blooded Saiyan, grows his tail back numerous times after having it removed. Vegeta has his tail cut off during battle, but it is important to note that he is an adult and it never grows back, except through artificial means in Dragon Ball GT. Goku is similar, His tail is cut off many times in Dragon Ball (mostly to stop him from being an Oozaru and wrecking the city), that he also never gets his tail back while an adult. Healing (seikan power) If a Saiyan survives a near-death experience through extreme injury to the body then when the body recouperates the Saiyan grows much stronger than they were previously, their body adapting to compensate for the damage dealt. The duration of recovery does not seem to hinder this ability as Saiyans have healed through natural, technological and mystical means and still gained substantial increases in strength. Saiyans also appear able to heal from injuries at a slightly faster rate than humans and possess a greater deal of durability to damage. Life span Saiyans and Saiyan-Human Hybrids also have substantially longer life spans than normal humans. They also do not suffer the affects of aging, remaining more physically youthful even into advanced years. Chichi complained of this in DragonBall GT when Goku was reduced to a child thus making the fact that she was getting older faster that much more apparent. Vegeta explains in the final chapter of Dragon Ball Z that Saiyans stay younger longer so they can fight even more. This is seen when Nappa who was Vegeta's attendant when he was a child is in his prime still long after Vegeta has become an adult but in actuality Nappa is 50 years old. This is again demonstrated in the GT finale when Pan is seen one hundred years later still strong but with grey hair despite being only a quarter Saiyan. Also some humans appear to lack any signs of aging (like Yamucha or Tenshinhan) so one can conclude that persons with greater power level and strength are ageing slower than ordinary humans. Oozaru Their tail also grants a Saiyan special transformations. Though a painful weak-spot for lower-class Saiyans, the tail allows a Saiyan to transform into a giant Oozaru beast when looking at a full moon. The Saiyan grows incredibly in size and strength while drastically changing in appearance. If the tail is removed, this ability is lost. In this state, some Saiyans have limited control, but their aggressiveness is at its peak and they often become mindless animals fuelled by destructive rage. The only physical ways to tell the difference between a tail-less Saiyan and a human would be a scar that is left where the tail once was. Super Saiyan The most powerful ability of a Saiyan however is the ability to drastically augment their speed, strength and energy by transforming into a Super Saiyan. The ability is rare and difficult to achieve normally but gives the Saiyan incredible enhancements to their normal abilities. Saiyans possess several Super Saiyan transformations, each different in appearance and the power they provide. For the majority of the Super Saiyan forms, the Saiyans muscle mass increases slightly, their irises turn green and their hair turns blonde/golden. In Dragon Ball GT however, a fourth form was achieved where the Saiyans body becomes covered in a reddish fur, the hair becomes darker and longer and the irises alter colour (Although the eye colour appears to be different for each Saiyan.) Female Saiyans have never been shown to be able to transform into Super Saiyans, however Akira Toriyama has stated that there were no female Saiyans to transform until the introduction of Pan and she never had the motivation to transform. It is fair to assume that the same attributes apply to female Super Saiyans, increasing their physical abilities and altering their physical appearance in a similar way to male Super Saiyans. Due to their healing abilities and the legend of the power of Super Saiyans, Freeza destroyed Planet Vegeta, causing the Saiyan race to border on extinction. Reproduction Saiyan reproduction is assumed to be similar to that of humans in at least one parent provides DNA to create the offspring. The only main full Saiyans seen, Goku, Radditz, Turles, Broly, Paragus, Vegeta and Nappa are never shown to have mothers so their true origin is unknown. However, since they can produce offspring with humans it is plausible that they share similar genes to humans and share similar reproductive habits. One female and (presumably) pure-blooded Saiyan named Seripa (Fasha in the FUNimation dub) has been shown, but this was in the Burdock TV Special and thus its canonicity is questionable. Inter-species Saiyans When a hybrid of Saiyan and Human heritage is born, it is very common for them to posess extreme fighting potential. Generally the male hybrids are the most powerful, far exceeding the powers of their full Saiyan parent. It is also very common for them to develope the ability to transform into Super Saiyans at childhood. But as powerful as these hybrids are, they don't tend to share the interest in fighting that pure Saiyans do. Saiyan Hybrids tend to become easily distracted from training. Other partial Saiyans seem the same way, they don't have the interest in fighting that pure Saiyans do, but they do tend to be very powerful. The actual reason why partial Saiyans tend to be more powerful then pure Saiyans remains a mystery to this day. Akira Toriyama has never explained this. Family Saiyan families appear to be far different to that of a traditional human family. Children are kept in pod devices as infants and monitored by doctors whilst their parents are usually occupied on mercenary missions. Even as infants, their natural strength means that they are able to conquer planets like Earth single-handedly and so it is unlikely they spend much, if any time with their parents or siblings. Saiyans do tend to have close relationships with their friends/comrades however, with whom they do spend a great deal of time in battle. Of the (pure-blooded) Saiyan families seen, none have had close relationships. Ruler The Saiyan race is governed by a Royal family system lead by King Vegeta. King Vegeta lead the revolt against the Tsufurujin and the planet was named after him. It is assumed that he was the first King and it is mentioned that he was one of the smarter, more tactical Saiyans which helped lead the race to their victory. Vegeta, being the son of King Vegeta was a prince and assumedly next in line to the throne had the planet survived. Even though the Saiyan race has seemed to have rebuilt itself, Vegeta still refers to himself as the prince of Saiyans whereas he should be the king as he has a son and daughter who would be the prince and princess while his wife Bulma would be the queen of Saiyans. Vegeta may just be very fond of the title The Prince of Saiyans or he may keep the title in respect for his father. More likely, he is not king because he has never had a formal coronation. However, if the Saiyan monarchy works like many real-world monarchies then having a prince for a father does make Trunks and Bra a prince and a princess as well. In the first Broly movie, Vegeta is named king by Paragus, though he didn't have any form of Coronation. Language There exists evidence (albeit vague) in the series that the Saiyans had their own language(s). Avid Dragonball/DBZ fan known as "SaiyaMel" throughout the internet, has in recent years taken matters into her own hands to construct and elaborate an entire Conlang for this race: with its own vocabulary/phonology, usage, grammar/syntax and written orthography, as well as touching upon details in regards to the origins, history, culture and home planet of the species - all based on what little is provided in the manga. Currently the whole project is in progress and will eventually be publicized. Character lists In addition to the name "saiyan" being an anagram of the Japanese word for vegetable, most pure Saiyan characters in the series also have names with vegetables puns-- either in English or Japanese. Furthermore, the Saiyan Royals are keeping in line with this, simply named Vegeta(ble). List of full Saiyans *Burdock; father of Son Goku, and Raditz *King Vegeta; king of the Saiyans, father of Vegeta *Nappa; a large bald Saiyan who looked out for Vegeta when he was a child *Raditz; brother of Son Goku (and possibly Tullece) *Goku; whose original Saiyan name is Kakarot (Kakarotto in original Japanese version). *Vegeta; Goku's greatest rival and the prince of all Saiyan *Tullece; a Saiyan who looks exactly as Goku (possibly his brother) *Paragus; Broly's evil father who tries to get revenge on King Vegeta *Broly; a Saiyan born on the same day as Goku and holds a great grudge against him *Bio-Broly; a Biogenetic clone of Broly made by Jaga Bada *Onio (appears in Neko Majin Z) he is a fat Saiyan with the power to become a Super Saiyan *Seripa; the only female member of Bardock,s team she is killed by Dodoria,s ellite *Totepo; a large balding member of Bardock,s team he is killed by Dodoria,s ellite *Toma; a tall musculine member of Bardock,s team he is Bardock,s best friend he is killed by Dodoria,s ellite *Panbukin a big overweight member of Bardock,s team he is killed by Dodoria,s ellite *Brocco a large musculaire saiyan seen only in the pendulum room *Pumpkin a short balding saiyan seen only in the pendulum room *Onion a pallete swap of pumpkin seen only in the Famicom game Dragon Ball Z: Kyoushuu! Saiyajin List of partial Saiyans *Son Gohan - 1/2 Saiyan *Future Gohan - 1/2 Saiyan *Trunks - 1/2 Saiyan *Future Trunks - 1/2 Saiyan *Son Goten - 1/2 Saiyan *Bra - 1/2 Saiyan *Pan - 1/4 Saiyan *Chidel - 1/8 Saiyan(Pan's daughter) *Mother of Vegeta Junior - 1/8 *Son Goku Jr. - 1/16 *Vegeta Jr. - 1/16 List of Saiyan fusions *Gotenks (Goten and Trunks via the Metamarū Fusion Dance), (Names: Goten + Trunks) *Vegetto (Vegeta and Goku via the Potara fusion earrings), (Names: Vegeta + Kakarotto) **Note: Called Vegerot in the Viz translation of the manga. Spelled "Vegito" in the American dub. *Gogeta (Goku and Vegeta via the Metamarū Fusion Dance), (Names: Goku + Vegeta) Category:North Galaxy Races